Finding You
by A.J. Kelly
Summary: The first time Edward passed through Forks, he found himself strangely drawn to the Quileute leader, Ephraim Black. But knowing that he wasn't his mate, Edward left with his family. Years later, Edward meets Jacob; but the separation and tensions between the wolves and vampires are a hindrance to Edward getting what he wants. Thankfully, both Edward and Jacob are stubborn.
1. Prologue

_A/N: Well, this is my first Edward/Jacob story and I'm very excited about it! I should probably have waited until I was done with Love and War, but I've been sitting on this one for months and I'm too excited not to post it. This one will be more slow moving that my other ones (to start off, Jacob is only 13 right now), and a bit more like That Which Cannot Remain Silent as far as tone and humour. It will certainly be less angsty than Love and War and The Purpose of Life. So hopefully you all enjoy it! _

_(Also, I may have messed with the canon timeline a bit. But it suits the story, so go with it.)_

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_Summary: The first time he passed through Forks, Edward found himself strangely drawn to the Quileute Tribal leader, Ephraim Black. But knowing that he was not his mate, Edward ignored his instinct to stay with Ephraim and try to become friends with the tribe, and he left with his family. When they return years later, Edward meets Ephraim's grandson, Jacob, and finally discovers just why he was drawn to Ephraim. The only problem is that the separation and tensions between the wolves and vampires are a hindrance to Edward getting what he wants. Thankfully, both Edward and Jacob are stubborn._

Disclaimer: The _Twilight Series_ and all recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Only this rather lame plot is mine.

Prologue

_Forks, Washington, 1948_

Edward looked around the quaint country house that would be their new home for the next couple of years. It wasn't horrible, but Esme was determined to decorate it into her favourite style, whatever that was. It was the first new home they had been to since she had joined their makeshift family, and she was excited to put her mark on it. Edward and Carlisle were fine with that considering their other homes were sparse and bland. Having a house that felt like a home was a welcomed normality in their strange world.

Edward walked around the second floor noting that there were more rooms than the four of them would need, before he moved up to the third floor. He hoped one of the rooms could be set aside for his piano. And maybe a library would be nice.

With only Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Edward living there, each person could have three rooms to themselves and still have space to spare. Room to grow, Esme had insisted when they had first looked at the house. Edward didn't know why they would grow, unless Rosalie and he found their mates. But Edward couldn't see himself with anyone, and Rosalie was a bitch. Edward loved her like a sister, but even he admitted that it would take a special man to put up with her.

"Edward," Esme called from downstairs, "Come help us move things."

"Come on Precious Edward, you have to pull your weight too," Rose's taunting voice followed.

Edward frowned and tucked his hands into his trouser pockets, thinking of all the horrible things he could call Rosalie once he got down there. It was only Esme's sweet smile greeting him that mellowed his mood. He picked up their new yellow couch – which was quite fashionable, yet hideously ugly, in Edward's opinion.

"Where would you like this, Esme?"

"We've designated the back room as the living room. The one with the French doors opening up to the backyard."

Edward nodded in understanding and carried the couch through the hallway, making sure he hit the top of Rosalie's head. She glared at him and yelled, _Ass_,in her head so Esme couldn't hear. Edward smirked and mouthed, "witch" before carrying on with his chore.

He dropped the couch in the middle of the room, knowing that wherever he put it, Esme and Rosalie would just move it anyway.

"Where's Carlisle?" He asked.

"Getting a job at the hospital," Rose replied. She brought in a recliner chair and shot a withering glare at Edward when the couch blocked her from entering the room further.

"Oh, of course."

"We're going by Gaskell here, in case you forgot."

"I hadn't," Edward shot back.

"Right, so he has to send in his new information, including last name. Really, you are the mind reader. Shouldn't you know all this?"

"I do try to give you your privacy."

Rosalie snorted and turned away from Edward, "Our beds are outside. I've already claimed the bedroom at the front of the house on the second floor. And Esme says your piano should be arriving later today."

Edward practically glowed at the excitement of having a piano again. They had been on the move for the past four years and Edward desperately missed being able to play a piano when he wanted to get away from the world. Or from himself. Now he would finally have a piano at his disposal; and as appeasement for being dragged around the country for four years – and, Edward liked to think, putting up Rosalie along the way – Esme and Carlisle allowed Edward to chose whatever piano he liked.

The rest of the day was spent moving furniture around and painting. Edward stayed in his designated room at the back of the house, setting up his new bookshelves and organising his library in alphabetical order. And then again by genre. Anything to avoid getting forced to paint and decorate.

Carlisle arrived later that night and Esme proudly walked him throughout the house; preening under the praise Carlisle gave her. Edward felt the familiar pang in his chest that he always got when he watched others with their mates. He loved his family, and was happy that he wasn't wandering somewhere alone, but he wanted nothing more than a mate. He desperately wanted someone who would love him and stay with him forever.

Carlisle had hoped that person would be Rosalie, but Edward knew it wasn't. He loved Rose and admitted she was beautiful, but he would never be in love with her. To pretend or use each other for temporary relief would be cruel, because somewhere out there Rosalie had a mate waiting. And hopefully so did Edward.

The piano arrived later that night and Esme set it up in the corner of the living room. Edward hid his disappointment because he knew that Esme loved hearing him play, but secretly he wanted some privacy. He would never get that though, and part of him didn't think he deserved it.

Esme never had privacy around Edward. Her thoughts were laid bare before him, and thoughts were the most private thing a person could have. So if he had to share his playing, he supposed he could have worse penance for constantly stealing the private thoughts of those around him.

He played all night long and for the first time since becoming a vampire, Edward was happy that he didn't have to sleep anymore. By the next morning he was no longer out of practice, and no one would have ever guessed that he hadn't touched a piano in years.

* * *

"Edward!"

Edward stopped playing immediately, his fingers hovering over the keys like a statue. Esme rushed into the room in a panic that Edward had never seen before.

"Esme, what's wrong?"

"Carlisle just called. He had a run in with someone at the hospital, someone who knew he was a vampire. They have set up a meeting for tonight."

"How could anyone know what we are?"

"They're from the reservation," Esme said ominously, "The man said he knew Carlisle from their legends. Oh, what if they tell someone?"

"Calm down, Esme," Edward said. He gently took her by the shoulders and guided her to the couch. "There's nothing to be worried about. Even if someone said something about us, nobody would believe them. As long as we stay calm, everything will be fine."

"You're right, of course Edward. It's just been so nice here, having a home and settling in. I don't want to lose that."

"We won't. We'll meet with the man, ask him what he wants in exchange for his silence, and continue on as if nothing has happened."

As much as he assured Esme that nothing would go wrong, Edward wasn't as convinced himself. He could only suspect whom Carlisle had met in the hospital, and if he was right, it didn't bode well for their family.

Edward had been set against living in Forks, Washington for one reason: the Quileute tribe. Edward had taken some anthropology courses at college and in one of them they had studied the legends of Native Americans. One legend in particular had caught Edward's eye, and that was the legend of the 'Cold Ones' from the Quileute tribe. Amazed that his own species had made it into legend, Edward had learned as much about the tribe as he could. So when Carlisle had suggested Forks, and Edward recognised the name of the town, he tried to convince the rest of his family that this was a bad idea.

But who would believe legends, the family thought, and so they moved in. And here they were. A ball of dread was forming in Edward's stomach at the idea of meeting the man tonight. Something told Edward it was going to be life changing.

This was confirmed even more once Edward found himself standing in the woods later that night at the border of what he now knew was the La Push Reservation.

"This is where he told us to meet," Carlisle muttered. He had been visibly shaken when he had returned from the hospital that day. The man had been violent and confrontational, and it took all of Carlisle's control not to attack and defend his family.

"They're coming," Edward warned. He could hear bits of thoughts getting closer. One of them was louder than the others, more hesitant yet determined.

The Cullen's stood closer and took defensive stances, in case they were to be attacked.

"We won't hurt you," A voice called from the trees.

"You'll forgive us if we don't trust you," Carlisle said. Edward strained to hear the minds of the men. Their superior vampire hearing gave them one advantage, so they knew that there was a group of fifteen men moving into position so that they were surrounding them.

"Why should you fear us? You are the killers here," the same voice said. "We are just food to you."

"No, you are not our food. Our family only eats animals. We will not hurt you. We just want to live a quiet life here for a few years."

Laughter echoed around the trees. One laugh was louder than the others and at that moment and man stepped out from the trees. Edward's breath caught as the beautiful man was illuminated by the moonlight. His golden skin and long black hair gleamed brilliantly. There was something about this man that called to Edward. He had something special and wonderful about him.

"A vampire that does not eat humans? I have never heard of that."

"It is rare, I will give you that," Carlisle admitted. "But I assure you, my family means you no harm. We do not hunt humans and we will not hunt you. If you let us live in peace, it will be like we were never here."

The native man regarded Carlisle briefly then let his eyes wander to Esme and Rosalie. Then his eyes finally met Edward's. Edward couldn't tear himself away from the gaze. He didn't know what was happening to him, why he felt like this man was important. He knew it wasn't his mate, vampire knew their mates immediately, and this man was not Edward's mate. But then why did he elicit this reaction?

"My name is Ephraim Black. I am the tribal elder of this land," Ephraim said regally.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen," Carlisle said, "And this is my wife and mate Esme, and our children Edward and Rosalie."

Ephraim quirked an eyebrow cynically when Carlisle said 'wife' and 'children', but he didn't comment. Instead he moved on to the more important matters.

"Why have you moved here vampire?"

"As I told you, we have been nomadic for several years and wanted a home so we could settle down. We did not know that you were here and have no intention of posing you any sort of threat."

"Are there more of you?"

"No, it is just us. If any other vampires were to pass through, they would not be from our family."

Ephraim was silent, but Edward could hear all the thoughts passing through his head. He was still untrusting of Carlisle when he said that they would not harm his tribe, yet Ephraim was a fair man and believed in giving chances. Edward knew that this meeting would end well, though both sides would have to compromise.

"I will allow you to stay, " Ephraim said at several moments of consideration. A murmur of disapproval swept through the forest, but Ephraim held his hand and all went silent again. "I still do not trust you fully though, and that is why I have decided on these rules. A treaty, if you will. If you follow them, my tribe will not attack you."

Edward heard Rosalie's inner snort as she wondered what they could possibly do to them. But Edward knew the threat was real. He could see in Ephraim's mind great men who could shift into werewolves. He saw a beautiful russet wolf rip the head off a vampire who had threatened to kill his wife. This tribe was a force to be reckoned with, and as such would have to be respected.

"Of course, we will agree to any terms."

"First, you will never cross this boundary where we stand. If you enter Quileute territory, you will die. Understood?"

"Of course," Carlisle agreed.

"Second, if you ever bite a human, you declare war with our people. I don't care if it is an accident or not, if you bite a human, we will kill you all."

Carlisle hesitated for a moment before agreeing. In theory it was a reasonable law, in practice however, it was a difficult thing to have hanging over a vampire's head.

"You are our enemies," Ephraim warned, "I am friendly to you now because I do not know you, but I still do not trust you. Stay away from our tribe and leave quickly."

"We hoped to stay here for several years…" Carlisle said.

"Then don't do anything to make us kill you," Ephraim said, rather offhandedly in Edward's opinion.

When none of the vampires said anything against Ephraim's treaty, he signalled the other men in the forest. They walked back around, releasing the Cullens from their confinement. Ephraim turned his back and started to walk away before looking over his shoulder, "Remember vampires, bite a human or step onto our land, and we'll kill you or run you out of town."

As Ephraim walked away Edward grappled with the odd emotions he was experiencing. Something deep within him wanted him to follow the man. He wanted to stay with him, knowing there was something important and precious that he had. Edward just didn't know what it was yet.

So with a final glance back, Edward followed his family to their house.

* * *

They stayed in Forks for three years before deciding to move to Alaska with the Denali Clan. It had been a great three years and they all were sad to leave Forks, but it was time. Carlisle had set up a meeting with Ephraim Black to inform him that they would be leaving and they hadn't decided when they would come back. After coming home the night when they made the treaty, Edward had told his family about what he had learned and how the tribe had the capability to turn in the wolves. They were more cautious after that, and it was one of the reasons they were leaving Forks so soon. Esme and Rosalie were still relatively new to the vampire lifestyle, and they lived in constant fear of a slip up.

So after years of worrying, they decided that to be safe and honour the laws of the treaty, they would leave Forks and return at a time when they were more confident that they wouldn't accidently entice the tribe's wrath.

Edward and Carlisle waited at the border for Ephraim and any other tribe's men to show up. Even after all these years, Edward was still reluctant to see Ephraim. Late at night he would sometimes hear a whisper or feel a pull, drawing him towards La Push. A few times he even found himself standing at the border, fighting with himself not to cross and discover what it was that made Ephraim so important. Leaving now would be difficult for Edward. He wasn't upset that he was leaving Ephraim. Ephraim himself didn't matter. But Edward knew that by leaving Forks he was living something important behind. Something connected to Ephraim. What that was, Edward couldn't even begin to contemplate.

Ephraim emerged from the woods, again followed by a group of men. "What do you want Cullen?"

"I wanted to let you know that my family and I are leaving Forks for the time being."

Ephraim's brow furrowed, "What do you mean? Are you leaving for good?"

"We love Forks and have found a home here. However after much discussion, we have decided that it is better if we leave. My wife and Rose are still new to this lifestyle, and we would hate to break the treaty because of an accident. So we will leave for now. But we will return. We are keeping our house and much of the furniture that can be saved will be put into storage."

"And you will return?"

"Yes, though we don't know when. It may be decades before we return. But I'm sure one day we will."

"Fine, but remember Cullen, the treaty still stands. When – If, you ever return, that treaty is binding," Ephraim warned.

"Of course, I understand."

"You're in our books now, future generations will know of you. Don't think that you'll be allowed to come back and not abide by our rules."

"I would expect nothing less."

Without a parting nod or farewell, Ephraim turned away and disappeared into the woods. Carlisle heaved a heavy sigh,_ Are all Wolves so difficult?_ He wondered, before starting back for the house.

Edward started to follow but was stopped by the odd tugging trying to keep him there. Edward took another fleeting glance in the direction of La Push and wondered what was there that drew Edward. What was calling him? He stood in the quiet forest, surrounded by the sounds of birds, bugs, and wildlife. And he waited, desperately wanting to know what it was he was missing.

"Edward?" Carlisle called. "Hurry up, Kate is expecting us by two."

Edward stood another moment longer then gathered all his self-control and walked away from the La Push Reservation. Had he known that it would take another sixty years before he would return, he might have waited a moment longer.

* * *

_A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed it! Obviously this is just the prologue. Jake comes in the next chapter. I'm not sure when I'll post that. It's done, but I need to space out my posting times a bit. (If you're a first time reader of mine, you'll realise very quickly that I take a while to update. I'm working full-time, writing my own book, and getting ready to move to Scotland to get my PhD.) Unless, of course, my excitement gets the best of me or a lot of people seem interested in this story. Then I might post it sooner. I guess that's my way of conning/convincing/bribing you into reviewing, but I hate when authors hold chapters hostage until they reach a certain number of reviews, so I'll never do that._

_Anyway, tell me what you think! Interested? ~AJ Kelly_


	2. Chapter One

_A/N: Thank you every one for the great response to this story! And I especially want to make sure I thank those reviewers who don't have Private Messaging enabled so I couldn't respond to you. _

_Well, here's the next chapter. I wanted to get Jacob into the story before I begin to pace my updating a bit. I apologise for any grammar or spelling errors. I only had time to look it over once before posting. Enjoy!_

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Disclaimer: The _Twilight Series_ and all recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Only this rather lame plot is mine.

Chapter One

_2005_

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes Alice, for the last time, I have everything you asked me to get," Jasper said. He was trying really hard not to snap at his mate, but Edward could hear the frustration in his thoughts.

Alice was the most excited about the family's new move to Forks. She had been planning and packing for weeks, telling everyone exactly where their new rooms would be – which really only applied to Edward because she liked his view best and was kicking him out of his old room and putting him across the hall. It was the same view, in his opinion, but apparently there was a tree that Alice really wanted a view of and it could only be seen from that room. She had also planned how things would be packed for ease of unpacking, and had already checked in what condition everything would be in after being stored for almost sixty years. Edward ignored most of what she said. His piano, supposedly, was intact and only needed to be tuned, so he was happy.

Esme was joining in with Alice's enthusiasm, telling her all about the house and the surrounding forests. While it was true that few places in the world had all the benefits that Forks did as far as perfect conditions for vampires, Edward wondered if Esme was idealising it a bit much. Sure the house in Forks had been beautiful in the 40's. They had no way of knowing if it would actually be as wonderful as they thought it had been.

Even Rosalie was looking forward to moving back to Forks. If course for Rosalie, her swinging endorsement came as, "The place wasn't a total piece of shit." Emmett followed whatever his wife said, and so with that it was agreed.

The Cullen family was moving back to Forks, Washington.

They hoped that, even with Jasper's strained control, the rest of the family would be able to keep him in line and they would be able to stay in Forks longer than they had before.

Enrolment in the local school had already been arranged and the family joked that Alice and Edward would be the oldest looking freshman that Forks High School would ever have. They hoped that they would be able to stay at Forks at least as long as it would take the last of them to graduate high school. So with Edward and Alice starting as freshman they at least had four years.

None of the kids were particularly thrilled about having to go to high school again, especially Edward, considering he had just finished his Doctorate in Medical Science. But it was a small price to pay for having a steady home.

"Are you excited, Edward?" Alice asked. Her joy was clear in the grin stretched across her face and the annoying way she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"About moving? Sure, I suppose. Forks was a nice place to live."

_Is that the only reason you're happy?_

Edward whirled around at her thought. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that I've been seeing something. It's not clear… but it's good."

A picture of Ephraim Black flashed in Edward's mind but he pushed it aside. He was probably dead, which would mean that Edward's fascination with him should have vanished. There was no reason to think of him anymore.

"It's nothing," Edward said, keeping his voice light to hide the tension in his voice, "I'm sure you're just Seeing us being excited about seeing things that are familiar."

"No, it's not that. This is about you," Alice said. She cocked her head to the side and observed Edward, focusing intently on him. Edward stood still, brushing her mind with his to find what she was thinking.

Alice's eyes glazed over and Edward was able to catch a glimpse of the colour tan, before Alice closed her mind off. Edward hated not knowing what her visions were, especially when they pertained to him; so as soon as her face cleared and became more aware, Edward started questioning her.

"What did you see? Was it about me?"

Alice shook her head slowly a soft smile creeping onto her face. "Not now Edward. The timing isn't right."

"The timing?" Edward protested, "What does that even mean? Please, Alice, just tell me."

"I said no, Edward. I can't tell you yet." She pushed past him and down the stairs, leaving Edward alone in his empty room wondering what she could possibly have seen.

Recognising defeat, he picked up the last box of books and CDs and carried it down to the waiting car. Rosalie and Emmett were already pulling out with one of the three cars they were taking, Alice and Jasper got into the second car, and Edward assumed he would be riding with Carlisle and Esme. As the odd man out, he somehow always was forced to be with the 'adults'.

Esme took one last lingering look at the house they were leaving. "I'll miss this house."

"But the house in Forks is larger. It will comfortably fit all of us."

"That's true," Esme said. She gracefully slid into the passenger seat and as soon as Edward had pulled his backpack out of the truck – who ever had put it there obviously hadn't been listening when he had explicitly said it would be travelling with him – Carlisle started the car. "Not to mention it'll be interesting to see how our things held up over the years. We'll have to go shopping as soon as we get there. I'll start making a list."

Despite their vampire brains and abilities to remember everything told to them, Esme still enjoyed making lists of things she needed to do. She said it made her feel more maternal and normal, and the family had stopped teasing her about it after she had vindictively refused to do anything for them that wasn't put in a list. For an entire week no clothes were washed, nothing was fixed, and nothing new was bought. They learned their lesson quickly and now Esme's lists were a sacred item in the household to be valued and respected rather than mocked.

"Is there anything you need Edward?" Esme asked, looking at him through the mirror of the widow shade.

"No, as long as my piano is still in good condition. Though we might need a new car since we're planning on staying here a while and we're only bringing three cars with us."

"Oh yes, of course. We'll have to find a way around that. Since we're enrolling you as freshman and sophomores, none of you should be able to drive." Esme frowned while she thought about that. "Well, just don't drive into town and be careful when you do drive."

The rest of the car ride was filled with small talk and silence. Moving from Maine to Washington would normally take days, however when they only had to stop for gas and could drive well beyond the speed limit, what should have been around a three-day drive was only one and a half. Soon they were pulling in to the town of Forks, watching and seeing that little had changed in sixty years. Buildings had been fixed up and painted, there were more cars on the road, and some shops were missing and had been replaced with boring office buildings, but otherwise Forks looked like it had been untouched by time.

They pulled on to the overgrown lane leading up to the isolated Cullen home. Again, Edward was struck by how it didn't look changed at all. They had paid for someone to mow the lawn, open the house up and clean the dust and windows, and check the roof to see if it needed to be fixed. With all that done, the house was move-in ready. All they had to do was rearrange their furniture as the girls saw fit.

Edward was the first in the door, heading straight to his piano which was still sitting in the corner of the living room. He lifted the lid and played a few keys. They were in tune and Edward was happy that someone (probably Alice) had also thought to get someone to tune his piano before they arrived.

"Once again Edward, you always leave us to do the work. Get your ass out there and move some boxes," Rosalie yelled as she walked into the room with some suitcases.

"I'm going; I just had to check my piano."

"Just fucking marry the thing," Rose sneered.

"Rosalie, language," Esme scolded, walking in behind them. She looked around and gave a delighted sigh. "Everything looks wonderful. Oh, I'm so glad we're back here."

"This is a nice pad," Emmett said, carrying in luggage. "I dig it."

"Emmett, no one says that anymore. Stop trying to sound cool because you only sound like an idiot," Edward said.

"Fuck off, Edward," Rosalie practically growled. "Emmett is cooler than you, so you really don't have a leg to stand on, criticising him."

It was only Esme's presence that stopped Edward from retaliating. She frowned deeply at her children, so Edward simply ignored Rosalie and brushed past her to go outside and bring in some boxes.

Carlisle was outside inspecting the house when Edward walked up to him. They both looked out at the woods and looked back at each other, each knowing what the other was thinking.

"We'll have to inform the Quileute tribe that we've moved back. We should do that as soon as possible."

"I'm sure we can check in the phone book for the Black's phone number. I doubt Ephraim is still alive, and we have no way of knowing who the tribal elder is now," Edward said.

Carlisle hummed in agreement, "You and I will go to the meeting. If all of us come… I don't want us to seem intimidating or threatening. The less confrontational we seem the better. Only if they want to meet all of us will the rest of the family come."

"Should I try to find the phone number of someone on the reservation?"

"Yes, look for anyone with the last name Black who lives in La Push. We'll try them first."

Edward nodded in agreement and went inside to hook up his computer to the internet and try to find a phone guide. It was easy, and within minutes Edward had the phone number of a William Black on the La Push Reservation. He wrote the number on a slip of paper and went in search of Carlisle.

In the time that he had spoken to Carlisle and found the phone number, Esme, Alice, and Rosalie had set up the living room and kitchen, and Emmett had finished bringing in all the boxes and luggage from the three cars.

Heading up the stairs, Edward heard Carlisle's thoughts about organising his medical books. Knowing exactly what that meant, Edward went straight up to the third level into Carlisle's office. Carlisle was inspecting the bookshelves, balancing a pile of books in one hand and sorting them alphabetically with the other.

"I found a phone number for a William Black. It's the only Black living in La Push."

"Thank you Edward, do you have your cell phone? I'd like to call him now but the phone in here hasn't been hooked up yet."

Edward fished his phone out of his pocket and passed it to Carlisle. He sat down on a chair, curiosity and something he couldn't identify compelling him to listen in on the conversation. It was odd to be so close to the source of his obsession. In the sixty years since they had been away from Forks, Edward had never forgotten his compulsion to follow Ephraim. He still didn't understand it, and a part of him wondered if he would have the same pull towards this other Black.

Carlisle sat on the edge of the desk and dialled. Edward could hear the phone ringing before the line picked up and a gruff voice was heard over the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you. I'm looking for Ephraim Black, and you were the only Black I could find in the phonebook. Do you know how to get in contact with him?"

There was silence on the line, then a rustling like the phone was being shifted to another hand. "Ephraim's dead. This is his son."

"I'm sorry," Carlisle apologised. "I didn't know. And your name is," Carlisle looked at the name on the sheet of paper, "William?"

"Billy. Billy Black. And you are?"

"My name is Carlisle Cullen." The sharp intake of breath told Edward and Carlisle all they needed to know. Ephraim had made sure to tell his son all about them, and Billy probably wasn't the only one who knew about them.

"Cullen," Billy hissed. "What are you doing back here?"

"That is why I have called you. We've moved back, but I wanted to meet with you to assure you that we will continue to abide by the treaty. We are not here to harm you or your tribe. I'd like to set up a meeting with the tribal elders and discuss this. I assume that you are the Chief?"

"You plan to stick to the treaty?" Edward could hear the disbelief in Billy's voice, and didn't really blame him. If their situations were reversed, Edward wouldn't want to be within ten feet of Billy.

"Yes, my family has been informed and all agree."

Billy was quiet and only the sound of his breathing could be heard. "Fine. We'll meet tonight at eleven. The boundary line. How many of there are you?"

"It will just be my son Edward and me. The rest of the family will stay behind, unless you want them there."

"No, just you and the boy. But don't think that you can trick us. No hiding others in the woods to attack us. If there is anyone else, the treaty will be broken and you'll pay."

"Of course not. We won't do anything to break the treaty. We'll be there at eleven tonight."

Without another word Billy hung up. Carlisle sighed and passed the phone back to Edward.

"Well, hopefully they won't be too difficult."

"Billy sounded a lot less willing to cooperate than Ephraim was," Edward pointed out.

"That's true, but when the treaty was first made Ephraim didn't know what exactly living with us around would be like. Now he's told others and we don't know how we're perceived there. We should be prepared for them to demand more out of the treaty."

"That's hardly fair, we have a right to live here if we want. It's not like we're on their reservation."

"Their tribe has werewolf blood flowing through them. With us here it is possible that gene will be activated, and as you know, werewolves and vampires are natural enemies. So their trepidation, while frustrating, is understandable. That is why we must be willing to be amenable to their requests. I'll ask you to pay attention to their thoughts and see if there is anything unspoken that will help our meeting be productive."

"Of course," Edward said. He gracefully lifted himself from the chair. "I'll be setting up my room. I'll find you five minutes to eleven?"

"Perfect."

Edward spent the next several hours organising his books and music. When he was done with that he went downstairs and started setting up his sheet music. He kept his entire music book and self-composition collection in a small file drawer that he carried around with him from place to place. Sometimes he kept the file in his room so that it would be out of the way, but this house was big enough that Edward could leave it right next to the piano and it wouldn't take up valuable space.

He didn't need the books as much anymore, having memorised most of it. But he liked to keep the books, as mementos of sorts. There wasn't logic to it, because once he memorised something his vampire mind wouldn't forget it. It was only a reminder of when he would need them. Another book to add to his collection. The more it grew the more accomplished he felt, and it was an accomplishment he could actually feel proud of because it was something he had worked for.

"Edward?"

Edward looked up and found Carlisle looking down on him expectantly. He glanced over at the clock and found that it was already time to leave. That was another thing he loved about his music: time would pass and he would barely notice.

"I'm coming. Do you have a plan about what you're going to say?"

"I was just going to wait and let them talk first."

"I think that's the best we can do," Edward agreed.

They took off through the woods, running at maximum speed through the trees and brush. The last place they had lived didn't have the forest that Forks had, and it was invigorating to be able to run at top speed through a forest knowing that it was large enough that few people would venture out that far.

They quickly reached the boarder, knowing immediately where to stop. Almost instantly they could hear footsteps coming closer and smell the human blood. Minutes later, nine Native Americans emerged from the woods. Finally the last man came forward and Edward couldn't pay attention to anyone else.

Edward knew this was Billy Black. He looked almost identical to Ephraim Black – though he had a scowl on his face that Ephraim lacked both times they had met. Billy had an air of a leader around him, commanding attention from everyone, despite his wheelchair. The blood of the leader flowed strong in Billy's veins. Even more, though, Edward felt a stronger pull towards Billy than he had Ephraim. Just like Ephraim, something in Billy called to Edward, and he didn't understand it at all.

"Hello," Carlisle spoke into the silence. "I'm Carlisle Cullen, this is my son Edward."

"We know who you are," Billy said. "You look just as my father said. What do you want?"

"We just wanted to let you know that we have moved back. We don't want to fight with you at all, and that is why we decided to tell you right away. We don't want to seem like we are breaking the treaty."

"Same house?"

"Yes."

"Why'd you come back here? We don't want you here," A man to the side of Billy said. Billy held out his hand to silence the man.

"I'm going to be fair about this, but you should know that we'll be keeping an eye on you. One step out of line, and you're out of here. Understand?" Billy asked. He never took his gaze off the vampires, and it allowed Edward to look into his eyes and mind and try to learn what it was about him that Edward yearned so much to have.

He was so engrossed in trying to understand Billy that he missed most of the meeting and was only brought back to his thoughts by Billy's final warning.

"You will never touch our land. If you do, we will kill you. We want nothing to do with you and it is only our basic belief in rights that is forcing me to allow you to stay here. But I'll try to kick you out as soon as I can. Our families aren't safe when you're here. Our tribe isn't safe when you're here. One step out of line…"

"We understand, Billy. We only want to live, out diet is still one of animals and while I would never be arrogant enough to say that we are never tempted, we do have enough control to resist."

Billy just snorted and turned his wheelchair around, effectively ending the conversation. "I don't pity you, Cullen, and I don't like you. You and your family are monsters. Stick to the treaty and then leave as soon as possible."

The rest of the men followed Billy back into the forest and it was only once they were gone that Carlisle and Edward relaxed. They raced back to the house to tell everyone how the meeting had gone.

* * *

Later that night Edward was lying on his couch looking up at the ceiling. He had never been an overly emotional person, however it seemed like every time he was in Forks emotions he didn't understand always surfaced. He had thought it was only something to do with Ephraim. Perhaps the leader in him called to Edward, though why that would be, Edward didn't know. But the same thing had happened with Billy, only it was more intense. Each time Edward felt like he needed to follow them, like they would bring him home.

Edward huffed and rolled over on his side. These emotions were ridiculous. Lust he could understand, but this certainly wasn't lust. He felt nothing for the men themselves; it was only what he felt they could give him that attracted him to them.

Then Edward remembered something during the meeting. Billy had mentioned family and a pair of warm, loving brown eyes had flashed in his head. Those eyes wouldn't leave Edward alone. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to bring back very detail of them to see if he could figure out why they were so special, but again, Edward was left with more questions that answers.

It was pointless to try to understand this when he didn't even know what it was he was trying to understand, so he gave up. Needing to distract himself, Edward went to his piano to spend the next several hours losing himself in his music.

"Edward?" Alice said, breaking him away from his song.

"Hmm?"

"My car needs to have its engine looked at. Will you take it to the mechanics today?"

Edward stopped playing and scrutinised Alice. "Why don't you have Rosalie look at it?"

"Because we're going to Port Angeles to go shopping and I really want my car to be looked at tomorrow."

"So why don't you make your husband do it?"

"Trust me, Edward, it has to be you." Alice's tone caught Edward's attention.

"What did you see?" He asked. She just smiled and stood up.

"Today at three o'clock. They'll be busy so you'll have to wait around a bit, but it has to be three."

"Why can't I go earlier when I don't have to wait?"

"Three," Alice said firmly and Edward knew not to argue with her.

* * *

He wasn't thrilled about having to take Alice's car to the mechanics. Carlisle had to come with him since they were trying to pretend that Edward was only fifteen, but Alice still insisted that Edward had to be there.

So three o'clock saw Edward and Carlisle sitting in the mechanic's waiting room waiting for the opportunity to fill out some paperwork. Edward was looking around, trying to figure out why it was Alice was so insistent that he be there. So far nothing had happened. The place was busy, and Edward was starting to feel sick from the smell of blood, sweat, and engine oil.

His phone beeped and Edward opened it to find a text message from Alice. '_Go outside. Dumpsters.'_

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Edward told Carlisle.

"Okay, I'll find you when I'm done here."

Edward nodded and walked out the door. He looked up and down the street trying to spot whatever dumpster Alice was talking about. The street was clear, and to the left of the building was the car shop, so Edward went right. Almost immediately he spotted an alley and turned into in.

Rustling could be heard coming from the dumpsters and the alley, and Edward was instantly confronted with someone's ass hanging out of one of them.

_Wire… more wires… shitty spark plug. Where's all the good stuff? Ha, jackpot! Gas tank – that could be useful. Some dings, but I can fix that._

Edward read the unidentified ass's thoughts for a moment before an inexplicable urge overcame him, and he cleared his throat.

The ass-man froze, then quickly raised his head, hitting it hard on the lid that was propped open. _Ow, that hurt!_ The kid – for he couldn't have been more than fourteen – rubbed his head as he scrambled out of the dumpster, a beat up gas tank clutched in his left hand.

Edward watched in amusement as the kid tried to make himself seem innocent, before he asked, "Hey kid, what are you doing?"

Edward never heard the reply. For as soon as the boy raised his head to look at Edward, all thoughts fled his mind. The boy had deep russet skin and shoulder length black hair that was windblown and had some leaves in it – though to Edward it only made him look perfectly child-like, like he had been playing in the forest before coming to that spot to change Edward's life. And his eyes; Edward recognised them instantly. They were the same eyes that Ephraim and Billy Black had. The same eyes Billy had thought of when he mentioned family. The warm, beautiful brown eyes that currently sparkled with contrived innocence and defiance.

They sent a bolt of lighting down Edward's spine, and Edward knew: this kid, this Quileute boy, was his mate.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you liked it! R&R, ~AJ Kelly._


	3. Chapter Two

_A/N: So this will probably be the shortest chapter of this story, and compared to what I usually try to write, it's very short. But the chapter sort of ended itself at about the 7 page mark, so I let it. Enjoy!_

* * *

Disclaimer: The _Twilight Series_ and all recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Only this rather lame plot is mine.

Chapter Two

Edward stared at his mate, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of the boy. He caught himself studying every little thing about him, from the perfect dark tone of his skin to the way the sunlight hit his raven hair.

"Hey, hey I'm talking to you… Hello?"

Edward shook himself out of his thoughts and realised his mate was talking to him. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who found me. What do you want?"

"Oh… right, well," Edward floundered, "Well I was just wondering what you were doing in the trash."

The boy blushed and Edward thought that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His skin took on a beautiful rosy glow, and just the smell of his blood was enough to entice Edward to press him against the walls and tuck his head into the boy's neck. Edward had to clench his hands together to stop himself from doing just that.

"I was looking for spare parts," the boy muttered.

"There are plenty of spare parts in the shop," Edward pointed out.

"Yeah, overpriced ones," he muttered. _Ones I can't afford_, the boy thought.

"What's your name?" Edward blurted out, unable to contain himself.

The boy stiffened and eyed Edward cautiously. "Why do you want to know?"

Edward shrugged, "I'm new here. Today's my first day and you look to be about my age, I just wanted to know your age."

"I'm Jacob Black, and I don't think you're my age." Edward could barely respond, so thrilled he was that he had his mate's name: Jacob. Edward was sure it was the best name ever.

He inwardly winced at how corny and cliché he sounded, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His mate was finally here. He had waited for him for a hundred years. He patiently sat through his siblings' opulent and frequent weddings, and his parent's simpler ones. He was never (that) bitter when he heard them exchange loving words late at night whilst he sat alone in his room, reading. And now his time was finally here.

"I'm Edward Cullen . Do you live in Forks?" Edward knew the answer already, he knew more about Jacob than Jacob probably knew himself. But, of course, Jacob didn't know that.

"No, the La Push Reservation about twenty minutes away."

"And you came here to…"

"Raid the trash. Yep, got a problem with that?" Jacob's eyes flashed, and Edward got the feeling that Jacob was used to having to defend himself. That was confirmed when he caught images of older boys teasing him good-naturedly, and Jacob tackling one of them for making fun of him.

"No, not at all," Edward said. "What are you going to do with that?" He nodded towards the gas tank that Jacob still had clutched in his hands.

"I'm going to fix it up, then maybe put it in a car."

"You rebuild cars?"

"When I don't have to do homework," Jacob joked. He was starting to lighten up around Edward, and when Jacob smiled and laughed, Edward swore his brain short-wired for a moment.

"Where do you go to school?"

"The Rez has its own school. I go there."

"That's too bad, it would have been nice to go to school together."

"I don't think you're in 8th grade like me," Jacob said, wryly.

"No, I'm in 9th," Edward said, mentally calculating how old his mate could possible be. Too young, that was for sure.

8th grade… that made Jacob only about thirteen or fourteen years old. Far too young to be able to handle being a vampire's mate and even far too young for a serious relationship with any kind of substance. Edward knew he'd have to start off slow. He'd have to get Jacob to trust him and become his friend – so long as Jacob was in his life, he could handle waiting years to mate with him. Being with him was enough.

"Do you want to hang out sometime?" Edward asked.

"Um, sure. I guess."

"Since I'm new I need someone to show me around the town."

"There really isn't much here, it is only Forks."

"But still. Will you show me around Forks?" Edward knew Jacob would say yes. Jacob thought he was cute – a fact that made Edward want to leap for joy, which was a feeling he'd never had before – and Jacob wanted to spend more time with him as well.

"Sure. Wanna do it tomorrow?"

"Yes," Edward said immediately. His enthusiasm caught Jacob off guard, but their conversation was stopped when Carlisle turned the corner.

"Edward? Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy."

"It's fine, Ca- Dad. Um, this is Jacob, Jacob, this is my dad, Carlisle."

_Holy Shit, they have good genes._ At Jacob's thoughts, Edward's lips quirked in amusement, something that wasn't missed by Carlisle. Carlisle watched Edward out of the corner of his eye while he extended his hand to Jacob.

"Hello Jacob, it's nice to meet you."

"Hello sir," Jacob said quietly.

"Where do you live?"

"I live in La Push," Jacob said. Not being familiar with vampire behaviour, Jacob didn't notice when Carlisle stiffened, but Edward did and he knew he was in for an uncomfortable discussion.

_Edward, What is this boy's last name?_ Carlisle asked him. Edward ignored him and focused all his attention on Jacob.

"So I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob?"

"Yeah, sure, what time?"

"Ten A.M.? We need to make sure we see everything."

"This is Forks," Jacob retorted, dryly. "We start at ten and we'll be done by noon."

Edward smiled and said, "Still, I'm sure we can find something to do for the rest of the day."

"Okay, if you want to be bored all day, I'll see you at ten."

Carlisle tugged on Edward's sleeve to pull him away from Jacob, but Edward refused to budge. Edward pulled himself free and growled at him, too low for Jacob to hear. Carlisle's eyes widened and he backed up from Edward. "I'll be in the car, Edward. There's nothing wrong with it, I don't know why Alice insisted we come here today, but they're sending it home with us because they're overloaded and it isn't a serious problem."

"I'll be right there, Dad." Carlisle didn't say another word and soon Edward was once again alone with Jacob.

"Meet you here at ten?" Edward confirmed.

Jacob nodded and kicked his shoe against the ground. "Sounds good."

"Bye Jacob," Edward said. He wanted Jacob to look at him again, he needed to see his mate before he had to leave and not be able to look at him until the next day.

The situation Edward found himself in was unusual for a vampire. Usually once a vampire found their mate that was it. From that moment on, they were together always – especially in the beginning stages. Everything in Edward's instincts resisted leaving Jacob in this alley, but he knew he had to. Jacob wasn't ready to be _his_ yet, and Edward needed to force himself to acknowledge that.

Edward's wish was granted when Jacob looked up and Edward knew that Jacob didn't want him to leave either. "Bye Edward."

With a final glance back at Jacob, Edward left the alley and found Carlisle sitting in the car. As soon as he slipped into the passenger seat, the tension was palpable.

"What is Jacob's last name, Edward?" Carlisle finally asked.

"What does it matter?"

"Edward, what is his last name?"

"Black," Edward muttered.

Carlisle's grip tightened on the steering wheel and the leather groaned under the pressure. "Do you understand the risk you are putting our family in? He is a Black, he's probably Billy Black's son –"

"He is."

"—so you understand the situation this puts us in! Edward what were you thinking? Do you know what the tribe will do to us if they find out you were talking to him? That you're meeting him? What could compel you? They want us to stay away from them."

"He's my mate."

Carlisle gasped, and all words were lost. "Your mate?"

Edward nodded. "Alice has been seeing him for a while. He's why she made us go to the mechanics, not for the car. She told me to go to that alley. I can't stay away from him Carlisle."

"He's young, Edward."

"That's why I'll be his friend right now. It can grow to something more when he's older. But right now, I just have to be with him."

Carlisle was quiet as he thought. "No one from the Quileute tribe can know that you are meeting him."

"I know."

"If they did, they would force him to stay away from you. In fact, they'll probably tell everyone in the tribe that we're to be avoided. Do you think Jacob will go against his father and tribe for a boy he's just met in an alley?"

Edward couldn't help his smug smirk. "He's intrigued by me and attracted to me. Plus he doesn't like being controlled and he's very defiant. I think that he'll ignore them simply out of curiosity."

"You know that I can't explicitly condone this behaviour? If Billy were to come to me, I'll try to protect you – and I'm certainly supportive – but I also have to protect the rest of the family."

"I understand."

"But I am happy for you, Edward. I am thrilled that you finally found your mate, you have waited so long."

Edward grinned and could barely contain himself from gushing about how wonderful Jacob was. Instead he smiled out the window and lost himself in thoughts of his mate.

His phone rang and Edward looked down to see that there was another text message from Alice: _You're welcome._

* * *

The moment Edward was through the door, Alice flew through the room and attached herself to his arm.

"Tell me all about him! What's he like? What's his name? When are you seeing him again?"

"Alice, calm down," Edward laughed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rosalie demanded.

It was only then that Edward noticed the rest of the family sitting in the living room, staring at him in shock. They were all astonished at the wide grin on Edward's face, something they had never seen before. Normal Edward was contemplative and stoic, and when he smiled it was small and controlled. This Edward was radiating happiness.

"Edward's mate," Alice chirped.

"What!" Esme gasped.

"My mate," Edward grinned. "His name is Jacob –"

"_His_," Emmet muttered to Rosalie, "You owe me twenty bucks, dear. Told ya Edward'd swing that way."

"—and he's wonderful." Edward finished with a glare at Emmett and Rose.

"And he's from the Quileute tribe," Carlisle added, softly. His words killed the joyous mood in the room, and Edward couldn't help but glare at Carlisle as he came into the room and sat beside Esme.

"Really, Edward? You_ would_ do the one thing that would make this place dangerous for us," Rosalie growled.

"Rosalie calm down," Carlisle commanded. Emmett wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her hair, trying to keep her calm. "Edward cannot help who is his mate, as everyone in this room knows. We judged none of you for your chosen mate and you will do the same for Edward. We do, however, have to discuss what you will do about this Edward."

"I will get to know him," Edward said bluntly. His next step seemed obvious to Edward. Despite the problems, despite the obstacles, the next step was to see Jacob again. It would always be the next step.

"Like hell you will," Rosalie roared, wrenching herself from Emmett's strong grip. "The entire family is now at risk because of you! What you need to do is stay far away and forget him."

"I will not," Edward growled. He tensed, waiting for Rosalie to make a move and watched Emmett tense as well, preparing to protect his mate if necessary. "I would never deny you your mate and I refuse to allow you to deny mine."

"That's different. Emmett posed no risk when I found him. This…_ mutt_, of yours could destroy our family."

Edward's growl was deep and ferocious, and he took a step towards Rosalie. "Never, ever, call him that again. I would never put this family in danger, and neither will he."

"You don't know that," Jasper finally spoke up. Betrayal hit Edward hard in the gut. He had expected Rosalie to be pissed, but he had thought the rest of the family would be supportive. Edward realised how naïve that had been – they would all be cautious and untrusting of Jacob.

Edward's shoulders slumped and he couldn't think of a response to appease his family's fears. "I trust him," he finally said.

"But you don't even know him," Jasper pointed out rationally. "I'm not saying that we make sure you're chaperoned whenever you meet him, or we monitor your every word, but you do have to be careful what you tell him."

"I won't lie to him," Edward warned. "But I will be smart about what I reveal. But if he asks me…"

"That's all we can ask," Esme said, effectively ending the discussion. No one would go against Esme, and if she hinted that the attack on Edward was over, it was over.

Alice jumped in then, taking her cue from Esme. "So how did you meet? I saw him in the alley, but that was it."

Edward's brilliant smile returned and he launched right in to telling his family about meeting Jacob.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I'm working on Chapter Three right now, but I can't say when it will be done. R&R! ~AJ Kelly_


	4. Chapter Three

_A/N: Well hello everyone! Sorry about the super (super) late update. Turns out getting your PhD takes up a lot of time. Who knew? I'll try to be better at updating, but no promises. I don't even know if there is anyone still following or thinking of this story. I guess I'll find out if anyone reviews or even reads this chapter. It's been looked-over once, but I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes I missed. Enjoy!_

* * *

Disclaimer: The _Twilight Series_ and all recognisable characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended. Only this rather lame plot is mine

Chapter Three

The next morning, Edward eagerly waited for Jacob at the mechanic's shop. He had spent the entire night convincing his family that he would be as safe as possible. The only people in his corner were Alice and Esme. They had complete faith in his ability to keep everything quiet. Carlisle and Emmett were hesitant, but optimistic. But Rosalie and Jasper seemed convinced that Edward would screw up and force them to have to move again.

Despite their reactions, though, Edward couldn't make himself care. All he cared about was Jacob.

Edward fidgeted – something he would never tell anyone about. Ever. Because vampires do not fidget – as he looked at his watch, counting down the seconds. Edward had never really cared about time before. When you have all the time in the world the distinction between five minutes and five hours is completely pointless. But now, waiting for his mate to show, Edward found that five minutes could seem like a lifetime.

He shifted on his bike seat, blinked, and anxiously looked around again. He hated not being able to take his car – the privacy it afforded was wonderful and Edward felt very exposed sitting in the open air on the bicycle. But it wouldn't do to draw suspicion or attention so soon. And a supposed fifteen-year old driving a car would certainly draw attention.

He waited a while longer and then checked his watch again, and had to resist the urge to break the thing when it showed that only a minute had passed. Jacob was taking forever, and Edward was slowly losing his mind. Just as he was about to rip out his own hair, Edward saw Jacob riding down the street on his bike.

Edward straightened in his seat and watched Jacob's every move. His thoughts were hesitant, but Edward was thrilled that Jacob felt the same excitement that he did.

Jacob pulled up next to him and Edward got off the bike.

"Hello," Edward said.

"Hi," Jacob replied. Edward smiled at him and Jacob blushed and looked away. Edward's smile widened until he was sure he looked like a maniac.

"So, where are you going to take me?" he asked, when Jacob didn't say anything.

"I- I don't know. I hadn't really thought that far ahead," Jacob said. He scratched the back of his neck and looked away from Edward as he tried to think of where he could take Edward.

He was nervous – Edward could tell, but what really made Edward happy was that Jacob really wanted him to be impressed with the town. Jacob's thoughts were consumed with where he could take this new boy that he so desperately wanted to impress. He wanted to make sure Edward wanted to stay there, and he wanted Edward to think he was cool.

It made Edward practically keen with glee than his mate wanted him to like him so much.

"I'm willing to go anywhere," Edward said, hoping it would prompt Jacob to say something.

"I told you there isn't much here. I don't know what you wanna see," Jacob admitted.

Edward didn't want to push Jacob or make him feel uncomfortable, so he decided to help him. "How about you show me the high school? I should probably see where I'm going to school."

"Yeah sure, I guess I can do that. Don't know why you'd want to go there, though," Jacob muttered.

"Well, what would you want to see?"

"The movie theatre, the comic book store, or the bowling alley!" Jacob explained with a grin beginning to form on his face. "You know, the cool things. Well," he amended, "there really isn't anything cool in Forks. But I'd definitely not go to the _school_. Why do you want to see somewhere that you'll have to go to all the time?"

"I like school," Edward shrugged. Jacob scoffed in disbelief and Edward had to stifle a laugh at Jacob's disgusted face. "But take me where you like to go. Show me the 'cool' things."

Jacob grinned and pushed his bike into the alleyway. "Then we're going to the bowling alley. They have games! My dad won't let me get any video games, so when I'm not going into Forks to visit the mechanics…"

"You mean, for you to raid their dumpsters?"

Jacob blushed and he turned defensive. "If they're going to throw away good parts that just have some dents, then what's wrong with me using them and fixing them up?"

"Nothing at all," Edward said, raising his hands up to show Jacob that he didn't mean any harm. "I just wasn't expecting to see anyone diving through the dumpster for a gas can. Did you use it, by the way?"

"Yes, I did," Jacob said, looking quite smug and proud of himself. "After I got most of the dents out, I put it in the car I'm building. Perfect fit."

"Why did you start building cars?" Edward asked. He stowed his bike next to where Jacob had left his behind the dumpster where they first met and jogged to catch up with Jacob who was already walking down the sidewalk.

"My father was a mechanic when I was growing up, so he taught me a lot of what I know. I've always liked tinkering with things, so I learned quickly. Now," Jacob trailed off and Edward could hear him debating whether to mention his father's accident. Edward was disappointed when Jacob decided that it was too soon. "Now I just use it for a bit of side work. Plus it gives me spending money and I'm getting experience for later."

"Later?"

"When I'm older," Jacob explained. "I'm not really the school type. So I'll probably end up working in my dad's old shop."

"You're only thirteen. There's still time for you to decide what you want to do."

"No, I'm really bad at school," Jacob said, shaking his head. "I just – I don't know – I get restless in class and then I can't focus so I miss everything during the lesson so I don't know how to do my homework. Then, even if I do the right reading, I can't remember what the book said."

"Won't the teachers help you? Or can you get a tutor?" Edward asked.

Jacob shrugged and kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. "The teachers don't really pay much attention to me and I, well, tutors are expensive and my father doesn't really have that kind of money." By the end of the sentence Jacob's voice had dropped to a whisper and his thoughts turned to shame.

But Edward couldn't pay attention to any of that.

His mate had just given him the perfect opportunity to spend a lot of time with him. Edward was pretty confident that Jacob wouldn't be learning anything Edward didn't already know like the back of his hand.

"I could do it," he quickly spoke before Jacob could change the subject.

"What?"

"I could tutor you," Edward said. "I learned everything last year anyway. You can bring your books to Forks and we'll do homework. No charge," he added when he saw the hesitancy in Jacob.

"Are you sure?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, I told you that I like school and I really like teaching people. Come on, it'll be fun.'' He nudged Jacob's shoulders trying to get him to agree.

"Uh, yeah, sure. But you don't have to, you know. I don't want to be annoying."

"I'm pretty sure I'll never be annoyed with you," Edward honestly said.

Jacob's face reddened once again and he ducked his head to try to hide it, but Edward still saw the blush. He found it wonderful and, though he would never, ever tell Jacob, it was charming.

Suddenly Jacob's face broke out into a grin and he began running as he called out over his shoulder to Edward. "We're here! Come on, we need to get there and make sure the cool games are open."

Edward smiled at Jacob and ran to catch up with him.

They spent hours playing games. Jacob won most of them – though Edward had let him win several times. Even though he had never played most of the games, his ability to catch on quickly and to think through situations in an instant helped him master all of the games after only a few rounds. But the look of self-satisfied glee on Jacob's face whenever he won and the disgruntled pout he got the first time Edward beat him was enough for Edward to start to fake losing.

After Jacob got tired of 'beating' Edward, they went to the dingy food court and Jacob ordered some slices of pizza.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Jacob asked after he had already eaten two slices of pizza and Edward hadn't touched his.

"I'm just not very hungry," Edward lied with a shrug. "Big breakfast."

"So you're not going to eat that piece?" Jacob asked as he eyed the last slice.

"No, by all means." Edward pushed the plate towards Jacob and with a speed that impressed even Edward, the slice was snatched from the plate and in Jacob's mouth.

"So, you like food, huh?" Edward couldn't help but ask with a smile.

Jacob swallowed his bite and then glared at Edward. "So? I like pizza. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it," Edward said in defence. "Just an observation."

"Well you don't like food, then, huh? Just an observation."

"I just don't have a big appetite," Edward said, vaguely.

"Yeah? We'll I'm growing, " Jacob replied back. "So I've gotta eat."

"Yes, you are," Edward muttered to himself so Jacob couldn't hear. He was almost ashamed of his words – after all, Jacob was only thirteen, and, mate or not, didn't deserve to have a hundred-year-old vampire perving after him. But Edward couldn't help it. The call of his mate was too much to handle. So while his fantasies definitely only featured an older, legal-aged Jacob, Edward couldn't help when his imagination sometimes got away from him.

Edward looked up at Jacob and noticed that he had been talking without realising Edward had been caught up in his own little world. He forced himself to listen to what Jacob was saying.

"… theatre?" There must be an action movie or something. Our movie theatre sucks and they only have three screens, but usually there's always at least one action movie on. There's always a stupid romance, though," Jacob grumbled.

"You want to go to a movie?" Edward clarified.

"Well only if there's something good on. The theatre's on Main Street, so it's a good place for you to see. The library is there."

"The library?" Edward asked, sitting up in his seat. "Then let's go to Main Street. I wouldn't mind seeing the library."

Jacob cocked an eyebrow at Edward before he rolled his eyes and pushed his plate to the middle of the table. "Fine, I guess I can do that. It's a bit lame, but…"

Edward shrugged and stood. "I like school."

"So you said."

Jacob was horribly unenthusiastic about going to the library on his day off from learning, but his still managed to talk the entire way there. Once they reached the library, Edward knew this would be the best place for them to meet for tutoring.

At the end of the day, when Edward decided it was getting late and time for Jacob to get home so he didn't raise suspicion, Edward recommended that they meet the next day at the library. Jacob wasn't thrilled, but he eventually agreed.

When they separated after walking back to their hidden bikes, Jacob left first and Edward watched him go. He didn't look away until Jacob turned the corner at the end of the street.

As soon as Jacob was out of sight a red sports car pulled up next to him. Edward didn't need to look inside to know it was Rosalie in the driver's seat. He put his bike in the back seat and got into the car, shooting Rosalie a thankful smile.

"Alice mentioned you'd be done now. I thought I'd save you the hassle of taking the bike home."

"Thanks, Rose."

"So how is your Quileute boy?"

Edward smiled and leaned back in the seat. "He's perfect."

"You're going to see him again, aren't you?" Rosalie said in a tone that reflected her torn state of mind. While she was blunt, harsh, and protective of the family, Rosalie was not without a heart and did understand the need and want for a mate.

"Tomorrow," he confirmed. "I'm going to tutor him in some of his classes."

"Look, you know where I stand on this," Rosalie said. "But I understand the pull he has on you. I know you were lonely, surrounded by all of us and I am glad you won't be lonely anymore. Just be careful."

"Jacob won't hurt me," Edward insisted.

"I'm not worried about that boy. I saw the look he gave you before he rode off. He's too young to understand what he's feeling, but that boy adores you."

"It's a bit too soon to say that," Edward argued, despite the thrill the idea gave him.

"Even so, he's not an issue. But his family and tribe – that will be a problem. So just… be careful."

"I will. I know what we're dealing with, but I won't let that hold me back from my mate," Edward said with firm resolve. "I won't."

xXx

Their first tutoring session was slow and halting. Jacob was smart, but he lacked the motivation and attention to study or do his homework. Another problem Edward quickly identified was that Jacob had too much responsibility on him since he was single-handedly taking care of his father and he didn't have enough time to do his schoolwork.

"I don't remember learning any of this," Jacob admitted.

Edward flipped the pages of the History book he was holding before stopping on the assigned chapter on the Civil War. "Well, what do you remember learning, then?"

"None of it," Jacob growled in frustration. "I even think I read that chapter, too! But I can't remember anything."

Edward doubted some of that. "I think you'd actually remember more of it that you think. You stress yourself out, Jacob. You're blocking what you know by telling yourself that you can't remember anything."

"What are you, my shrink?" Jacob muttered under his breath.

"Well, actually I do have my PhD in Cognitive Psychology and an MD in Psychiatry and Internal Medicine," Edward replied, wryly. Jacob blinked and stared wordlessly. "I'm joking," Edward lied.

"That was a lame joke," Jacob said. "Totally horrible. Like a kid your age could be a doctor."

Edward laughed along with Jacob, but inside he winced at his words. There was so much he couldn't tell Jacob – not yet – and it upset him even though he knew it was necessary.

"What I was trying to say, though, is that you need to stop beating on yourself. Stop telling yourself you're bad at learning and just see what happens."

Jacob crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat. "Fine, we play it your way, Freud. So how do we start?"

"Well first of all I'm going to ask you some questions and we'll see what you remember."

"Questions from the book?"

Edward smirked. "Maybe. One of my brothers is a Civil War buff, so I know some things. Plus I learned this last year."

Jacob smiled, but he fidgeted nervously in the chair. "What if we find out that I really don't know anything? What if I'm too stupid to learn this stuff?"

Edward moved without even realising it. His hand covered Jacob's and he spoke with complete earnestness. "You're not stupid, Jacob, and you do yourself a disservice by saying you are."

Jacob had tensed when Edward had touched him, but in the face of his nervousness he seemingly forgot to wonder why Edward was practically holding his hand. "But what if I am?"

"You're not," Edward repeated. "But if we find that you don't know something, we'll just go over it again."

"And if I don't know anything?"

"Then we'll start at the beginning."

Edward picked up the History book and turned to the chapter Jacob was studying. He didn't need the book, but he decided that it wouldn't hurt to use it for guidance on what Jacob was supposed to learn. There was no need to quiz Jacob on things he would never need to know. Edward cleared his throat dramatically, eliciting a small smile from Jacob, which was just what he wanted. He kept the questioning light-hearted so Jacob wouldn't be nervous, and whenever Jacob became frustrated or irritated they quickly moved on. Jacob remembered some things, but a lot of it he was too nervous to even attempt. He'd stutter through the questions, grow red in the face, and start beating up on himself in his head.

Edward read Jacob's mind throughout all of it. It was endearing how nervous Jacob was. He desperately wanted to impress Edward and he didn't want to appear stupid. He didn't think Edward would want to spend time with him if he was too young and clueless. Edward longed to assure him that nothing Jacob could do would drive Edward away. It really was frustrating to not be able to tell his mate just how much he meant to him. And Jacob was too filled with teenage angst and insecurity to understand it, anyway.

Once they were done, Edward shut the book with a definitive snap and dropped it on the table.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Jacob frowned. "I sucked. I didn't even get half right."

"Well, no," Edward admitted," but you got some correct, right? So you retained something you read or heard in class, despite your insistence that you can't pay attention or remember anything."

"But what about everything I didn't remember?"

Edward grinned and leaned over to rustle in his bag. After a few moments, he smirked triumphantly and proudly placed a blank notebook and several coloured highlighters and pens on the table in front of Jacob.

"We're going to take colour-coded notes on your reading," he excitedly exclaimed.

The excited smile on Edward's face quickly morphed to confusion when Jacob groaned loudly and dropped his head onto the table. "Oh god, you're a nerd! Colour-coding? What have I gotten myself into?"

"There's nothing wrong with colour-coding," Edward said with a pout.

"There's everything wrong with colour-coding! Here I thought you were this really cool guy, but the whole time you've been a closet nerd!"

"I'll have you know that I get straight-A's," Edward retorted.

"Because you colour-code your notes?" Jacob asked, sceptically.

"Yes," Edward said, even though it wasn't true. He'd get perfect marks without even trying; it was one of the perks of being a vampire. Though, he would admit, occasionally he would write in different colours. It passed the time in class and the different inks gave him something to look forward to. "Red for important terms, purple for dates, and grey for side notes. Plus whatever colour ink is in my pen at the time. Though I like to use blue-blacks for math. And sometimes, when I'm very bored, I write with pink," he finished with a wink at Jacob, who had gone glassy-eyed. Edward decided to throw one final thing at him. "Maybe if you're good, I'll let you play with my fountain pens and inks."

At that, Jacob turned his face into his crossed arms and muttered, "I knew it. Such a nerd. I thought this was going to be fun."

"It will be fun, but we're here to help you learn this. So, we're going to read the chapter together, paragraph by paragraph. After each paragraph we're going to talk over what was important information, then we'll take notes and highlight what we need."

Jacob sighed, but he obediently opened the notebook, though Edward could see how much Jacob wasn't looking forward to it.

It took several hours for Edward to get Jacob through the chapter and the library was beginning to close before they were done.

"Well, what do you think of our first tutoring session?"

Jacob finished throwing his things in his bag before he graced Edward with a reply and a withering glare. "Oh, I feel just great. I just feel like I was mind-raped. No big fuckin' deal."

It took everything in Edward not to bust out laughing at Jacob's little temper tantrum. "Yes, well, that's what happens when you aren't used to studying."

Jacob's scowl deepened into a glare and he turned his back to Edward to pick up his bag. Edward couldn't hold back a small snort this time. Jacob hefted the bag over his shoulder and began walking away from the table without a backwards glance, but Edward was after him in a second.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"No fucking way."

"We didn't even touch your Civics homework," Edward reminded him.

"Don't care."

"I'll make you a deal."

"There's nothing you can say that will make me come back here tomorrow."

"What about free food," Edward bargained.

Jacob stopped in his tracks and after a brief moment of consideration, angled his body slightly to face Edward. "Keep talking."

"We'll meet at the diner. You can have whatever you want – on me – for the entire time we're there."

Jacob shifted from foot to foot indecisively, until finally the appetite of a teenaged boy won out. "Fine, we'll meet tomorrow. But you better make good on your offer. And I'm going to eat everything I can to make you pay for today."

"Be my guest."

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Jacob said.

"Same time and I promise it'll be fun, Jake."

The last thing Edward heard before he was too far away was Jacob's doubtful thoughts, tinged with his excitement at meeting again.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review if you did, or even just to yell at me for taking so long at updating. Though it's a bit late, I do hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday season and I wish you a Happy New Year! R&R, AJ Kelly _


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